Strengths
Weaknesses
There are clear, easily understandable instructions. Hedonism is very simple and understandable.
Some situations leave no ‘good’ consequence, so even if all factors are considered the result may still not be the best.
There is a set of principles, which can be consistently used in any ethical problem. So it is possible to measure (or guess…) the duration or purity or extent etc. of happiness in any given situation.
Not everyone is solely driven by happiness. It is so structured that it doesn’t consider the importance of personal commitments. Duty for example doesn’t stem from self-interest so is non-consequential so a Utilitarian’s choice may be at conflict with his duty. Bernard Williams believes we should not ignore personal responsibility or integrity for moral actions.
It is democratic, so it is accessible by anybody, disregarding there class, religion, age, race etc.
Jesus: ‘There is no greater good than sacrificing your life for somebody’. Sacrifice for Christians would be considered a ‘good’ thing in some situations but if it didn’t produce maximum happiness, Utilitarian’s would deny it.
The Hedonic Calculus can be used to measure how good an action is, making it easier to decide which action is the best.
The factors (used to measure the consequential happiness) are answered subjectively. This makes scoring each one no more than a guess. For example if somebody is asked: ‘For what duration do you think happiness will last for if you buy this man a house’, the answer will be inaccurate.
It is a consequential theory and it is natural for humans to consider the consequences of an action.